1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus equipped with a wireless information function, and more particularly to an information processing apparatus that is capable of connecting to a wireless LAN, a method of controlling the information processing apparatus, and a storage medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Among conventional image forming apparatuses (e.g. printers or multifunction peripherals) as one type of information processing apparatuses, some are equipped with a wireless communication function. This type of image forming apparatus sometimes executes a print job, for example, by communication with an external apparatus, such as a PC (personal computer), by way of a wireless LAN.
When an image forming apparatus is enabled to communicate with external apparatuses via a wireless LAN, the image forming apparatus needs to be provided with a security function for prevention of being illegally accessed. In general, for the wireless LAN, it is known that the security function is realized by encryption based on WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy), WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access), WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access 2), or a like other encryption method.
However, there can be provided a wireless LAN access point (wireless AP) in which the security function thereof has been configured to be disabled. If the image forming apparatus is permitted to be accessed using such a wireless AP as a relaying point, the image forming apparatus has a risk of being illegally accessed by an unspecified external apparatus.
On the other hand, in the case of an image forming apparatus equipped with a department ID management function, the use of the apparatus by persons other than the staff who are registered beforehand by the department ID management function is restricted (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-120507).
As described above, by using the wireless LAN, an external apparatus can input a print job or a FAX job to the image forming apparatus, to thereby perform printout or FAX transmission.
However, if the security function of an wireless AP has been configured to be disabled, in other words, if there exists a wireless AP whose security function is disabled or made ineffective, there is a fear that an external apparatus illegally inputs a print job or a FAX job to the image forming apparatus.
Particularly, if an unspecified external apparatus inputs a FAX job and the image forming apparatus having received the FAX job executes FAX transmission, telephone line usage is illegally charged.
In the Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-120507, although the use of the image forming apparatus by persons other than the staff who are registered beforehand by using the department ID management function is restricted, settings of the security function of the wireless LAN and settings of the department ID management function are not cooperatively associated with each other, and it is required to configure two categories of settings, respectively.
Therefore, for example, even though the security function of a wireless AP has been set to be disabled, the administrator sometimes carelessly fails to change the settings of the department ID management function. In such a case, there is a fear that it is impossible to prevent unauthorized access.